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Movies You've Seen Recently | January 2020
- Thread starter Divius
- Start date
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Some people disliked the very ending, but I enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek way it seemed like it was teasing a sequel (the sequel being All the President's Men)
Honey boy 4.5/5 (It's on amazon prime video-free)
Wow, you always wonder what the hell was wrong/happened to Shia laBeouf, this movie definitely brings a view into his world. The movie is all about the time period where Shia was in court ordered rehab and where he wrote this movie, it explores his relationship with his father when he was a 12 year old boy. Shia played his dad, Lucas hedges played Shia at the rehab and there was a brand new kid who played 12 year old Shia. Shia and his father had an extremely difficult relationship which impacted Shia as an adult.
This movie was hard to watch, but gives me a new found understanding with Shia's journey through adult hood.
Wow, you always wonder what the hell was wrong/happened to Shia laBeouf, this movie definitely brings a view into his world. The movie is all about the time period where Shia was in court ordered rehab and where he wrote this movie, it explores his relationship with his father when he was a 12 year old boy. Shia played his dad, Lucas hedges played Shia at the rehab and there was a brand new kid who played 12 year old Shia. Shia and his father had an extremely difficult relationship which impacted Shia as an adult.
This movie was hard to watch, but gives me a new found understanding with Shia's journey through adult hood.
Watched John Grisham's The Rainmaker on Thursday. It was great, some really gritty moments and was a classic courtroom drama. Everything about it felt tasteful- not preachy, not overdone, and it has some deliberately misleading storylines that I appreciated.
The commentary about the health insurance industry taking advantage of people felt very relevant for today. The chief defense lawyer Drummond (Jon Voight) has a very slimy closing argument about premiums and the government "taking control" of healthcare.
I've only seen a couple Grisham adaptations but this one already feels like a frontrunner haha.
Wednesday was Layer Cake. Had a blast what a fun movie; never seen it before.
The commentary about the health insurance industry taking advantage of people felt very relevant for today. The chief defense lawyer Drummond (Jon Voight) has a very slimy closing argument about premiums and the government "taking control" of healthcare.
I've only seen a couple Grisham adaptations but this one already feels like a frontrunner haha.
Wednesday was Layer Cake. Had a blast what a fun movie; never seen it before.
Z, 1969, by Costa Gavras
"They struck me. Why? Why do the ideas we stand for incite such violence? Why is peace intolerable to them? Why don't they attack other organizations and movements? The answer is simple. The other movements are national, for domestic purposes, and thus leave our allies indifferent... "
Excellent movie, similar to L'Aveu (The Confession, 1970) also by Gavras. It never literally says it's in Greece, but it's pretty much in Greece, was actually filmed in Algeria because it couldn't be filmed in Greece of course. His style is really great and both movies showcase it, I recommend watching both back to back. The actors are great, many of whom are in both movies.
It's on YouTube, subtitled in English.
"They struck me. Why? Why do the ideas we stand for incite such violence? Why is peace intolerable to them? Why don't they attack other organizations and movements? The answer is simple. The other movements are national, for domestic purposes, and thus leave our allies indifferent... "
Excellent movie, similar to L'Aveu (The Confession, 1970) also by Gavras. It never literally says it's in Greece, but it's pretty much in Greece, was actually filmed in Algeria because it couldn't be filmed in Greece of course. His style is really great and both movies showcase it, I recommend watching both back to back. The actors are great, many of whom are in both movies.
It's on YouTube, subtitled in English.
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Force Majuere 4.5/5
A dark comedy? Of what happens to a family when a avalanche causes them to consider everything about themselves and each other. One split second decision creates an cascading avalanche of deeply moving and darkly humorous moments. Definitely gave me a lot to think about, what my own reactions would be in a moment of terror.
A dark comedy? Of what happens to a family when a avalanche causes them to consider everything about themselves and each other. One split second decision creates an cascading avalanche of deeply moving and darkly humorous moments. Definitely gave me a lot to think about, what my own reactions would be in a moment of terror.
Is it a leaner year this year? What are the movies expecting to get big time deals
Some thoughts in Disney's first golden age, and the initial entry into their first fallow period -
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - 3 stars
Defining Moment: A litany of moments spring to mind as this slight but monumental film pushed animation light-years ahead, but it's when the dwarfs, assuming Snow White to be dead, choose to place her in a glass coffin, a bittersweet moment of recognition for how utterly important she was to them.
Pinocchio - 4 stars
Defining Moment: It's tempting to go with an early scene involving a dance and the ticking of an inordinate number of clocks, Disney flexing its animation acumen that existed beyond anything that had ever been seen, but the real moment is the fulfillment of Geppetto's wish to the Blue Fairy, as Pinocchio manifests as a real boy and brings this wayward family finally together.
Fantasia - 4.5 stars
Defining Moment: It's a cliché, but you cannot ignore the utter, jaw-dropping intensity of the Chernabog and "Night on Bald Mountain", though it has to be and rightfully was counter-balanced by the break of day as "Ave Maria" plays while we look at the procession of monks guiding the light. Evil wins but momentarily and swiftly, and in the wake the good reconstruct the world with slow toil.
Dumbo - 3 stars
Defining Moment: "Pink Elephants on Parade" is absurd and astounding, but the film has no emotional core without Jumbo singing "Baby Mine", subtle and beautiful in its simplicity, as Jumbo cradles Dumbo in her trunk.
Bambi - 5 stars
Defining Moment: Where do you start? Is it the breathtaking detail of the opening, evocative of the way any forest seems to fold into itself endlessly? Is it the shattering death of Bambi's mother amid the claustrophobic swirls of snow that accentuate his futile search in the aftermath? Is it harrowing dash through a mad fire capped by cathartic reunion? Perhaps, yes it is, the final shot, father and son surveying their kingdom and the affirmation of life.
Saludos Amigos - 1.5 stars
Defining Moment: The final segment, "Aquarela do Brasil", escapes the turgid trajectory of the first three segments by featuring a dazzling array of watercolors come to life and finally allow South America to speak for itself, rather than through Disney's overwrought narration, through gorgeous imagery and music.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - 3 stars
Defining Moment: A litany of moments spring to mind as this slight but monumental film pushed animation light-years ahead, but it's when the dwarfs, assuming Snow White to be dead, choose to place her in a glass coffin, a bittersweet moment of recognition for how utterly important she was to them.
Pinocchio - 4 stars
Defining Moment: It's tempting to go with an early scene involving a dance and the ticking of an inordinate number of clocks, Disney flexing its animation acumen that existed beyond anything that had ever been seen, but the real moment is the fulfillment of Geppetto's wish to the Blue Fairy, as Pinocchio manifests as a real boy and brings this wayward family finally together.
Fantasia - 4.5 stars
Defining Moment: It's a cliché, but you cannot ignore the utter, jaw-dropping intensity of the Chernabog and "Night on Bald Mountain", though it has to be and rightfully was counter-balanced by the break of day as "Ave Maria" plays while we look at the procession of monks guiding the light. Evil wins but momentarily and swiftly, and in the wake the good reconstruct the world with slow toil.
Dumbo - 3 stars
Defining Moment: "Pink Elephants on Parade" is absurd and astounding, but the film has no emotional core without Jumbo singing "Baby Mine", subtle and beautiful in its simplicity, as Jumbo cradles Dumbo in her trunk.
Bambi - 5 stars
Defining Moment: Where do you start? Is it the breathtaking detail of the opening, evocative of the way any forest seems to fold into itself endlessly? Is it the shattering death of Bambi's mother amid the claustrophobic swirls of snow that accentuate his futile search in the aftermath? Is it harrowing dash through a mad fire capped by cathartic reunion? Perhaps, yes it is, the final shot, father and son surveying their kingdom and the affirmation of life.
Saludos Amigos - 1.5 stars
Defining Moment: The final segment, "Aquarela do Brasil", escapes the turgid trajectory of the first three segments by featuring a dazzling array of watercolors come to life and finally allow South America to speak for itself, rather than through Disney's overwrought narration, through gorgeous imagery and music.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile:
Finding a breakup drama in the midst of one of the most publicized criminal investigations in the history of the United States is nothing if not an admirable goal, but what was accomplished here made for an engaging experience, if not an entirely exceptional one with the askew balance in the second half of the film being almost entirely focused on Ted Bundy's Florida trial and not giving the character of Liz nearly enough to do in comparison. It is a credit to the film that even if it does feel a bit too obsessed with the recreation of the trial that it doesn't lose sight of Bundy's inherent villainy, as the film does quite a convincing job of selling you on his ability to nurse a sickening dependence of the women in his life without needing to spell it all out, which is utilized rather well by Zac Efron in the role, creating a genuine sense of menace that is just under the surface of his good looks and outspoken personality.
Tammy and the T-Rex:
My god, a recent cult revival worth the hype! A gory horror-comedy with tongue firmly planted in cheek, the concept in all its zero-budget glory gets done the correct amount of justice for a zany and horny experience like few others out there. It is definitely not immune to some wonky and amateur elements beyond the "charming" special effects, but between a profoundly homoerotic fight scene to open the film, mad scientists dragging the flattened corpse of a colleague like a fleshy Fruit Roll-up, an animatronic T-Rex crying tears at a funeral, Terry Kiser losing his goddamned mind throughout as the villain and the incredible final scene, you'll be rolling around the floor in giddy moron energy like I was.
Our Godfather:
Me: Oh cool, a true crime documentary about the biggest turning point in the history of the war on organized crime!
Documentary: Sure, but it's also about the crushing difficulty of a man trying to keep his family together in the most horrifying of extraordinary of circumstances, having to cope with loved ones dying for merely sharing his surname, the constant fear of knowing that anyone outside of your immediate family can't be trusted, the brutal grind of witness protection and relocation, all of which weigh down as your family begins to fall apart at the seams as they're not built for this kind of life.
Me: Well, OK, I guess a little tearing up wasn't going to hurt me.
American Factory:
A very good documentary centering on the culture clash of Chinese and American work ethic, to surprisingly amusing results that don't feel forced, along with a dose of sobering harshness when the incompatibility of cultures leads to tense labor standoffs amidst punishing realities of how few options there are for the workforce. I can't imagine it could have been easy to have this end on the note that it does, with so many ominous vibes that things aren't looking to improve anytime soon, but it helps sell its messages quite effectively.
The Beach Bum:
Come for the stoner comedy vibes with far better production values than, well, every other stoner comedy ever and possibly put together, stay for the lighthearted and life-affirming messaging, Jimmy Buffett and Snoop Dogg having a jam session with topless women adorning them, Zac Efron as a dudebro born-again Christian, a marijuana Christmas tree, Martin Lawrence getting to deliver the line, "Now I gotta feed my coke-addicted parrot" in a sequence that will go down as one of the most sublimely ridiculous segments of any film out there, and the strangely compelling story of Moon Dog, portrayed brilliantly by Matthew McConaughey as the kind of fuck-up you still want to root in the end to succeed at... whatever the hell it is that he does.
Finding a breakup drama in the midst of one of the most publicized criminal investigations in the history of the United States is nothing if not an admirable goal, but what was accomplished here made for an engaging experience, if not an entirely exceptional one with the askew balance in the second half of the film being almost entirely focused on Ted Bundy's Florida trial and not giving the character of Liz nearly enough to do in comparison. It is a credit to the film that even if it does feel a bit too obsessed with the recreation of the trial that it doesn't lose sight of Bundy's inherent villainy, as the film does quite a convincing job of selling you on his ability to nurse a sickening dependence of the women in his life without needing to spell it all out, which is utilized rather well by Zac Efron in the role, creating a genuine sense of menace that is just under the surface of his good looks and outspoken personality.
Tammy and the T-Rex:
My god, a recent cult revival worth the hype! A gory horror-comedy with tongue firmly planted in cheek, the concept in all its zero-budget glory gets done the correct amount of justice for a zany and horny experience like few others out there. It is definitely not immune to some wonky and amateur elements beyond the "charming" special effects, but between a profoundly homoerotic fight scene to open the film, mad scientists dragging the flattened corpse of a colleague like a fleshy Fruit Roll-up, an animatronic T-Rex crying tears at a funeral, Terry Kiser losing his goddamned mind throughout as the villain and the incredible final scene, you'll be rolling around the floor in giddy moron energy like I was.
Our Godfather:
Me: Oh cool, a true crime documentary about the biggest turning point in the history of the war on organized crime!
Documentary: Sure, but it's also about the crushing difficulty of a man trying to keep his family together in the most horrifying of extraordinary of circumstances, having to cope with loved ones dying for merely sharing his surname, the constant fear of knowing that anyone outside of your immediate family can't be trusted, the brutal grind of witness protection and relocation, all of which weigh down as your family begins to fall apart at the seams as they're not built for this kind of life.
Me: Well, OK, I guess a little tearing up wasn't going to hurt me.
American Factory:
A very good documentary centering on the culture clash of Chinese and American work ethic, to surprisingly amusing results that don't feel forced, along with a dose of sobering harshness when the incompatibility of cultures leads to tense labor standoffs amidst punishing realities of how few options there are for the workforce. I can't imagine it could have been easy to have this end on the note that it does, with so many ominous vibes that things aren't looking to improve anytime soon, but it helps sell its messages quite effectively.
The Beach Bum:
Come for the stoner comedy vibes with far better production values than, well, every other stoner comedy ever and possibly put together, stay for the lighthearted and life-affirming messaging, Jimmy Buffett and Snoop Dogg having a jam session with topless women adorning them, Zac Efron as a dudebro born-again Christian, a marijuana Christmas tree, Martin Lawrence getting to deliver the line, "Now I gotta feed my coke-addicted parrot" in a sequence that will go down as one of the most sublimely ridiculous segments of any film out there, and the strangely compelling story of Moon Dog, portrayed brilliantly by Matthew McConaughey as the kind of fuck-up you still want to root in the end to succeed at... whatever the hell it is that he does.
I saw this appear on Shudder the other day. Thanks for your review! I'll definitely watch it.
In honour of Little Women, a journey through Saoirse Ronan's major (and some minor) filmography:
Atonement (2007): Where it all began, one magical gathering of talents that produced one of the best tragedies (and literary adaptations) of the 21st century. It's kind of hilarious, looking back, that at the time Keira Knightley was the only really recognizable name in the cast (excepting, of course, Vanessa Redgrave), when you consider not just Ronan but also James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, and even Alfie Allen in a minor role. Ronan is only one of three actresses playing her role, and in terms of screentime I think Romola Garai is probably comparable, but it's telling of how talented she is that she's the one who dominates people's memory of the film. But beyond her, Knightley and McAvoy have seldom if ever been better, and the production, costume design, and so on are exquisite. Joe Wright does more with Dunkirk in six minutes than Christopher Nolan did with an entire film. And that Dario Marianelli score!
The Lovely Bones (2009): Hot off that Oscar nomination, Ronan scores the lead role in a Peter Jackson adaptation of a bestselling novel! Alas...while I admire Jackson's overstuffed King Kong, his dark decade truly began here. This is just a misjudged film on almost every level, from the often-inexplicable tone to many of the performances; Mark Wahlberg, who can be good in dramatic parts with the right direction, is left completely adrift here. Ronan emerges unscathed from the proceedings, at least.
The Way Back (2010): I remember this from the 2010 season because awards reporter/blogger Kris Tapley was a big booster of the film, but it never went anywhere (aside from a Best Makeup Oscar nomination), and it never came to Island theatres, so I didn't get to see it at the time and never made it a priority in subsequent years. Of the three movies I watched as part of this project that I had never seen before, this is handily the best. Based on a memoir that is almost certainly a pack of lies (but who cares, it's a good story), we follow a group of gulag internees who escape and trek from Siberia across Mongolia and China to reach British India and freedom. They aren't actually being pursued (that we can see) for most of the movie, so this is a man vs. nature film, covering terrain so hazardous that crossing the Himalayas on foot in wintertime is treated like an afterthought. Our leading man is Jim Sturgess, this being toward the tail end of the brief window where he was being measured for stardom. The ending feels very rushed. Really great nature cinematography is a highlight of the film, and Ronan is adorable. It's a shame that it increasingly looks like this will be director Peter Weir's last film, as he hasn't done anything in the decade since.
Hanna (2011): Ronan re-teams with director Joe Wright for her second lead film role, and first good lead film role; also one of her few forays into the action genre, and certainly the most successful of the bunch, starring as the ever-popular teen girl supersoldier character type we'd seen a few more times onscreen in the decade to follow. I don't think Wright is necessarily a natural action director, but his approach is entertainingly weird a lot of the time, and there's a really good single-take fight with Eric Bana at one point. And it's a rare film where Tom Hollander gets to play the heavy.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014): I would say that this is the best film that Ronan has appeared in to date, even if it's not one of the films I would especially identify as highlighting her talents the most. She slots nicely into Wes Anderson's comic deadpan universe, and gets to use her natural Irish accent on film for the first time because Anderson openly did not give a damn about that kind of consistency in his fictional eastern Europe -- and it's remarkable how successful this gambit is, frankly; you never think about how Tony Revolori and F. Murray Abraham are notionally playing the same character but look and sound nothing alike. Really, this is just a sublime piece of filmmaking, comfortably in my top five of the past decade, and while I think Moonrise Kingdom is my favourite Anderson film, this is his most mature and weighty story. It's a rare screwball comedy that ends by informing the audience that two-thirds of the protagonists died shortly afterward, but that's the sort of thing I find myself wondering about in later years when, e.g., watching everybody happy in Budapest in the 1940 film The Shop Around the Corner.
Brooklyn (2015): Irish accent #2! Released at the tail end of the Obama era, and right before things like the migrant crisis, Brexit, etc. could have factored into its development, looking back on this four years later I wonder how much more politicized a film like this might seem if it were released today, being as it is such a warm immigrant fable (with a white immigrant, of course, so maybe FOX News would hold its fire). This shares with Grand Budapest not just that she gets to be Irish, but also gives her more of a straightforward charming love story angle; albeit with a lot more angst and drama here, which she of course plays well. Lots of good acting in the supporting cast, and both of her prospective love interests are handled as viable options, which is something you seldom see in these sorts of stories. And the use of colour in the film is quite stunning, very much like the better Technicolour films from the era in which it's set.
Lady Bird (2017): Ronan teams up with Greta Gerwig for the first time (one hopes there will be a third collaboration in the near future) for this very astutely-made, semiautobiographical account of teenage life in the early 2000s. I admire the way that Gerwig includes little hints about what's happening in the lives of other people, but never strays too far from Lady Bird, since she's not really aware of what's going on with everybody else, so the audience isn't either; it makes everyone feel like they're a rounded person, even if we only see facets of them. So many great lines in this, and expertly delivered. This is of course one of her more recent films, so I'd seen it much more recently some some of the others.
On Chesil Beach (2018): Back to where things started, another Ian McEwan adaptation, this time with the author himself penning the screenplay. Unfortunately, this is easily the weakest of the films I watched as part of this weeklong journey. I've seen some people complain about the way Little Women plays with narrative chronology, which I wholeheartedly disagree with, but if you want an example of how you can do that in ways that disrupt the story and don't add anything, this would be a much better example. The pivotal sequence where the main couple attempt to consummate their marriage does not benefit from being cut to pieces with flashbacks to their whole relationship up until that point. The acting is solid, as you'd expect, but somebody made the decision that Ronan and Eddie Redmayne-lookalike Billy Howle should play themselves in the 45-years-later epilogue, and...yeah, that did not work at all.
Atonement (2007): Where it all began, one magical gathering of talents that produced one of the best tragedies (and literary adaptations) of the 21st century. It's kind of hilarious, looking back, that at the time Keira Knightley was the only really recognizable name in the cast (excepting, of course, Vanessa Redgrave), when you consider not just Ronan but also James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, and even Alfie Allen in a minor role. Ronan is only one of three actresses playing her role, and in terms of screentime I think Romola Garai is probably comparable, but it's telling of how talented she is that she's the one who dominates people's memory of the film. But beyond her, Knightley and McAvoy have seldom if ever been better, and the production, costume design, and so on are exquisite. Joe Wright does more with Dunkirk in six minutes than Christopher Nolan did with an entire film. And that Dario Marianelli score!
The Lovely Bones (2009): Hot off that Oscar nomination, Ronan scores the lead role in a Peter Jackson adaptation of a bestselling novel! Alas...while I admire Jackson's overstuffed King Kong, his dark decade truly began here. This is just a misjudged film on almost every level, from the often-inexplicable tone to many of the performances; Mark Wahlberg, who can be good in dramatic parts with the right direction, is left completely adrift here. Ronan emerges unscathed from the proceedings, at least.
The Way Back (2010): I remember this from the 2010 season because awards reporter/blogger Kris Tapley was a big booster of the film, but it never went anywhere (aside from a Best Makeup Oscar nomination), and it never came to Island theatres, so I didn't get to see it at the time and never made it a priority in subsequent years. Of the three movies I watched as part of this project that I had never seen before, this is handily the best. Based on a memoir that is almost certainly a pack of lies (but who cares, it's a good story), we follow a group of gulag internees who escape and trek from Siberia across Mongolia and China to reach British India and freedom. They aren't actually being pursued (that we can see) for most of the movie, so this is a man vs. nature film, covering terrain so hazardous that crossing the Himalayas on foot in wintertime is treated like an afterthought. Our leading man is Jim Sturgess, this being toward the tail end of the brief window where he was being measured for stardom. The ending feels very rushed. Really great nature cinematography is a highlight of the film, and Ronan is adorable. It's a shame that it increasingly looks like this will be director Peter Weir's last film, as he hasn't done anything in the decade since.
Hanna (2011): Ronan re-teams with director Joe Wright for her second lead film role, and first good lead film role; also one of her few forays into the action genre, and certainly the most successful of the bunch, starring as the ever-popular teen girl supersoldier character type we'd seen a few more times onscreen in the decade to follow. I don't think Wright is necessarily a natural action director, but his approach is entertainingly weird a lot of the time, and there's a really good single-take fight with Eric Bana at one point. And it's a rare film where Tom Hollander gets to play the heavy.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014): I would say that this is the best film that Ronan has appeared in to date, even if it's not one of the films I would especially identify as highlighting her talents the most. She slots nicely into Wes Anderson's comic deadpan universe, and gets to use her natural Irish accent on film for the first time because Anderson openly did not give a damn about that kind of consistency in his fictional eastern Europe -- and it's remarkable how successful this gambit is, frankly; you never think about how Tony Revolori and F. Murray Abraham are notionally playing the same character but look and sound nothing alike. Really, this is just a sublime piece of filmmaking, comfortably in my top five of the past decade, and while I think Moonrise Kingdom is my favourite Anderson film, this is his most mature and weighty story. It's a rare screwball comedy that ends by informing the audience that two-thirds of the protagonists died shortly afterward, but that's the sort of thing I find myself wondering about in later years when, e.g., watching everybody happy in Budapest in the 1940 film The Shop Around the Corner.
Brooklyn (2015): Irish accent #2! Released at the tail end of the Obama era, and right before things like the migrant crisis, Brexit, etc. could have factored into its development, looking back on this four years later I wonder how much more politicized a film like this might seem if it were released today, being as it is such a warm immigrant fable (with a white immigrant, of course, so maybe FOX News would hold its fire). This shares with Grand Budapest not just that she gets to be Irish, but also gives her more of a straightforward charming love story angle; albeit with a lot more angst and drama here, which she of course plays well. Lots of good acting in the supporting cast, and both of her prospective love interests are handled as viable options, which is something you seldom see in these sorts of stories. And the use of colour in the film is quite stunning, very much like the better Technicolour films from the era in which it's set.
Lady Bird (2017): Ronan teams up with Greta Gerwig for the first time (one hopes there will be a third collaboration in the near future) for this very astutely-made, semiautobiographical account of teenage life in the early 2000s. I admire the way that Gerwig includes little hints about what's happening in the lives of other people, but never strays too far from Lady Bird, since she's not really aware of what's going on with everybody else, so the audience isn't either; it makes everyone feel like they're a rounded person, even if we only see facets of them. So many great lines in this, and expertly delivered. This is of course one of her more recent films, so I'd seen it much more recently some some of the others.
On Chesil Beach (2018): Back to where things started, another Ian McEwan adaptation, this time with the author himself penning the screenplay. Unfortunately, this is easily the weakest of the films I watched as part of this weeklong journey. I've seen some people complain about the way Little Women plays with narrative chronology, which I wholeheartedly disagree with, but if you want an example of how you can do that in ways that disrupt the story and don't add anything, this would be a much better example. The pivotal sequence where the main couple attempt to consummate their marriage does not benefit from being cut to pieces with flashbacks to their whole relationship up until that point. The acting is solid, as you'd expect, but somebody made the decision that Ronan and Eddie Redmayne-lookalike Billy Howle should play themselves in the 45-years-later epilogue, and...yeah, that did not work at all.
Magnolia (1999) - I watched this last night for the first time and at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, it made me reevaluate my life afterwards. It's one of those films where you know it'll be one of your favorites while you're watching it. I don't even know how PTA made this while he was still in his late 20's. 3 hours of incredible acting, cinematography, and music.
Im jealous this was your first time. Youll love it more on rewatches.
"Now that I met you would you object to never seeing me again."
Anderson has, in recent years, also made it pretty clear that the version of Magnolia we got could only exist by virtue of him being in his 20s. It's the single film he says he'd have loved to change around, and while his criticisms - that it can obtuse, that it's possibly overly long, that its shaggy and unfiltered - are correct, those qualities are also precisely what makes it so spellbinding.
No doubt! It's certainly a young guy shooting for the moon type of flick, that he probably wouldn't, couldn't create now.
Matchstick Men: 6/10. Oh it's one of those movies. Half way through I was like this is just shitty Paper Moon. And is that Sam Rockwell playing a non-racist? Didn't know he had the range. Wait did he just buy 8 packs of cigarettes for $36? Oh hey it's Melora Walters.
48 Hrs: 7/10. Though it has a reputation as quintessentially 80s it's really more of a 70s holdover. In this movie Eddie Murphy chases down Neil Diamond and makes a big scene at the Ram Ranch. Absolutely loved the fucking bizarro sax steel drum soundtrack. A little disappointing to learn the Safdies aren't remaking this anymore.
The Mummy (1999): 3/10. Shitiana Jones. No I've never watched The Mummy. Probably because I knew it was going to be stupid and guess what I was right. I know some people love this thing but I'm assuming it's because they saw it every time TNT would play it when they were 11. Did I forget to download the high res texture pack? Also y'all motherfuckers need to look up the inverse square law.
Zulu: 6/10. The original Helm's Deep. Everything was great until they got to the actual battle which was just people randomly grasping at nothing on their bodies. I'm not sure if it's just the movie or that I was watching on my new OLED but it looked absolutely incredible. Like those red uniforms were jumping off the screen it looked so good.
Little Womans: 8/10. Yeah it's great, top 10 for sure. Masterful direction and editing to subtly layer different emotions of top of each other to create something new. I went back to JC's post about two moments that made him cry just to see how they matched up with mine. They were exactly the same.
48 Hrs: 7/10. Though it has a reputation as quintessentially 80s it's really more of a 70s holdover. In this movie Eddie Murphy chases down Neil Diamond and makes a big scene at the Ram Ranch. Absolutely loved the fucking bizarro sax steel drum soundtrack. A little disappointing to learn the Safdies aren't remaking this anymore.
The Mummy (1999): 3/10. Shitiana Jones. No I've never watched The Mummy. Probably because I knew it was going to be stupid and guess what I was right. I know some people love this thing but I'm assuming it's because they saw it every time TNT would play it when they were 11. Did I forget to download the high res texture pack? Also y'all motherfuckers need to look up the inverse square law.
Zulu: 6/10. The original Helm's Deep. Everything was great until they got to the actual battle which was just people randomly grasping at nothing on their bodies. I'm not sure if it's just the movie or that I was watching on my new OLED but it looked absolutely incredible. Like those red uniforms were jumping off the screen it looked so good.
Little Womans: 8/10. Yeah it's great, top 10 for sure. Masterful direction and editing to subtly layer different emotions of top of each other to create something new. I went back to JC's post about two moments that made him cry just to see how they matched up with mine. They were exactly the same.
Raging Bull - Raging Bull lives up to its immense legacy. The film finds Martin Scorsese at his most brutal, physically and emotionally. A lot of his work is violent, bloody, and filled with self-destructive characters, but everything in this is portrayed with nothing held back. Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta fully embodies the character's worst traits. He is abusive, paranoid, and downright sadistic. His paranoid tendencies, naturally, alienate him from everyone he wants to care about. It's very difficult to empathize with a character like LaMotta, yet De Niro's performance and the script reveal a lonely, sad soul underneath all the fear and violence. LaMotta ends up a shell of his former self, bloated and somehow even more bitter. The sins of his past haunt him at every turn, culminating during the vicious scene in the jail cell. He is left with nothing but regret, reciting bad comedy routines and self-pitying monologues. Really, there is no other way for this story to end.
Raging Bull also finds Scorsese's direction at its best. He directs the boxing scenes as a sort of kinetic poetry, a blur of limbs, blood, sweat, and brutality. His public disdain for boxing is on display throughout the whole film. His trademark utilization of slow-motion works wonders here. It brings an artful sensibility to the scenes, purposefully contrasting with the violence. The boxing sequences are exaggerated just enough with extreme closeups, extensive use of smoke, and interesting camera movements to amp up the violence and give them an almost dreamlike state of being. All of this would be for naught if it weren't for Thelma Schoonmaker's equally brutal editing. She finds just the right moment to cut to make the punches land harder and the verbal barbs sting even more. The way she jolts the audience from conversations to the ring is just incredible. It's some of her best work with Scorsese. The cinematography and sound design are equally stellar. The grainy, black-and-white image is just as stark as LaMotta, and the sound design makes sure we hear every single damn blow to the head.
Raging Bull is hard to watch at times. The violence is bloody and brutal, and the lead character is abrasive and generally terrible. Yet, there is such artistry within it that it's hard to look away and very rewarding to watch. Everyone involved clearly gave it their all. The results speak for themselves.
Raging Bull also finds Scorsese's direction at its best. He directs the boxing scenes as a sort of kinetic poetry, a blur of limbs, blood, sweat, and brutality. His public disdain for boxing is on display throughout the whole film. His trademark utilization of slow-motion works wonders here. It brings an artful sensibility to the scenes, purposefully contrasting with the violence. The boxing sequences are exaggerated just enough with extreme closeups, extensive use of smoke, and interesting camera movements to amp up the violence and give them an almost dreamlike state of being. All of this would be for naught if it weren't for Thelma Schoonmaker's equally brutal editing. She finds just the right moment to cut to make the punches land harder and the verbal barbs sting even more. The way she jolts the audience from conversations to the ring is just incredible. It's some of her best work with Scorsese. The cinematography and sound design are equally stellar. The grainy, black-and-white image is just as stark as LaMotta, and the sound design makes sure we hear every single damn blow to the head.
Raging Bull is hard to watch at times. The violence is bloody and brutal, and the lead character is abrasive and generally terrible. Yet, there is such artistry within it that it's hard to look away and very rewarding to watch. Everyone involved clearly gave it their all. The results speak for themselves.
Uncut Gems: surprisingly human and tender considering how loathsome most people in this movie are. Sandler needed to play this character, no one else could make the story work. Surprised by all of the negative reviews from people expecting a comedy, I thought it was a laugh riot. 8
The Post: I don't know what I expected. The direction has a bit of life but the archness of the characters and the way the stakes are handled infuriated me. Spielberg's 2010's trend of slowly draining any subversiveness or sharp edges left from his films shouldn't surprise me anymore. Go back to tintin pls. 4
The Post: I don't know what I expected. The direction has a bit of life but the archness of the characters and the way the stakes are handled infuriated me. Spielberg's 2010's trend of slowly draining any subversiveness or sharp edges left from his films shouldn't surprise me anymore. Go back to tintin pls. 4
OP
OP
I actually threw my phone down in disgust at giving The Mummy a 3/10
Have you no heart? Brendan Fraser is rolling over in his grave
Have you no heart? Brendan Fraser is rolling over in his grave
That's...like...2.67 Mummies by his scale. Have you ever seen a movie 2.67 times The Mummy's quality?
Found 1917 to be pretty disappointing, the production value was incredible but overall it felt like a set tour. Story and characters weren't all that memorable, and I felt like the decision to mimic the one shot take restricted the movie much, much more than it elevated it.
I think I'd give it a B- overall, It's a pretty standard war movie that's cinematography and production salvages a mediocre script. Dunkirk remains the best war movie of the past decade for me.
I think I'd give it a B- overall, It's a pretty standard war movie that's cinematography and production salvages a mediocre script. Dunkirk remains the best war movie of the past decade for me.
Bad Boys III was actually pretty enjoyable and pretty funny. This franchise just needed some fresh blood directing it. Also that Michael Bay cameo lol.
Parasite
What an outstanding movie all round. A technical masterwork, perfectly acted, directed and shot. The editing here is gorgeous, weaving voiceover and narratives together so seamlessly. Song, Park and Cho as patriarch, daughter and naive housewife respectively are brilliant to watch. And the scene where the Kims are struggling to make themselves scarce is as brilliant as any I've seen all year.
And beyond that, a rollicking good fuckin' time with twists, turns and no little commentary on our world today. It's unsubtle, but there's just enough left unspoken in the script to sustain the outlandish scenario's feasibility. It really reminded me of Us, actually; its mirror image families cast alongside each other in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, the difference being here that the mice had no idea they were being hunted and the cats were never good enough at the hunting.
Stunned the Oscars have found such love for this; it's decidedly not their standard fare. But will be thrilled if it can pull of a win or two; it isn't topping The Irishman for me, but it's a very great movie in a strong and idiosyncratic line up this year
What an outstanding movie all round. A technical masterwork, perfectly acted, directed and shot. The editing here is gorgeous, weaving voiceover and narratives together so seamlessly. Song, Park and Cho as patriarch, daughter and naive housewife respectively are brilliant to watch. And the scene where the Kims are struggling to make themselves scarce is as brilliant as any I've seen all year.
And beyond that, a rollicking good fuckin' time with twists, turns and no little commentary on our world today. It's unsubtle, but there's just enough left unspoken in the script to sustain the outlandish scenario's feasibility. It really reminded me of Us, actually; its mirror image families cast alongside each other in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, the difference being here that the mice had no idea they were being hunted and the cats were never good enough at the hunting.
Stunned the Oscars have found such love for this; it's decidedly not their standard fare. But will be thrilled if it can pull of a win or two; it isn't topping The Irishman for me, but it's a very great movie in a strong and idiosyncratic line up this year
I haven't had a lot of time lately to go out and see movies but finally broke down and made some time.
Saw the new Bad Boys which was for the most part decent. It's not gonna break the mold of action films or anything and the writing isn't great but for what it is, a vehicle for Martin Lawrence and Will Smith to riff on each other and shoot bad guys, it's fine.
I also saw Gerwig's Little Women, which I thought was fantastic. Might just be my favorite of the year, I love Greta Gerwig's movies. Even if the subject is something I have no idea about or have any connection to, her films just know how to push the right buttons for me and make me feel a type of way.
Saw the new Bad Boys which was for the most part decent. It's not gonna break the mold of action films or anything and the writing isn't great but for what it is, a vehicle for Martin Lawrence and Will Smith to riff on each other and shoot bad guys, it's fine.
I also saw Gerwig's Little Women, which I thought was fantastic. Might just be my favorite of the year, I love Greta Gerwig's movies. Even if the subject is something I have no idea about or have any connection to, her films just know how to push the right buttons for me and make me feel a type of way.
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A few. Not a big fan. Much better art director than director, IMO.
Saw 1917 on Saturday - was honestly kinda underwhelmed by it. Obviously the one shot thing is cool and it's a gorgeous movie - gotta give production design and cinematography a lot of credit - but it's not really an interesting movie apart from that. I don't think it needed to be set in WWI as it's not really about anything. Feels more like a war film as an excuse for a technical exercise. If you're gonna tell a story about one of the most brutal conflicts in humanity's history, I want more than that. There are no lessons to be learned here other than boilerplate heroism stuff. In a war that is often described as having no bad guy and being pointless etc. they make no effort to humanize the Germans or even castigate the British leadership, who are sending thousands to their deaths unnecessarily.
In a way it reminds me of Dunkirk, which was heavily promoted around it's use of IMAX etc, but Dunkirk is easily a better movie. I think the film was maybe hampered by having only a single viewpoint, the characters felt kinda one dimensional.
My favorite sequence was the first part where they crossed out of the trench and through no-man's land. The visuals are otherworldly and jaw-dropping, I don't think any film has depicted the utter devastation so well.
2.5/5
After reading some reviews of 1917 I decided to watch Gallipoli (1981). This is a much better movie. I can see why some people would complain about the first 2/3 or so being slow - much of the movie is Archy's home life and the troops being trained. But I think it makes the end of the film when they get to the battlefield that more effective. Won't spoil it here but ending is really impactful, and I'm still thinking about it this morning. On Amazon Prime right now, give it a watch if you liked, or even if you didn't like, 1917.
4/5
In a way it reminds me of Dunkirk, which was heavily promoted around it's use of IMAX etc, but Dunkirk is easily a better movie. I think the film was maybe hampered by having only a single viewpoint, the characters felt kinda one dimensional.
My favorite sequence was the first part where they crossed out of the trench and through no-man's land. The visuals are otherworldly and jaw-dropping, I don't think any film has depicted the utter devastation so well.
2.5/5
After reading some reviews of 1917 I decided to watch Gallipoli (1981). This is a much better movie. I can see why some people would complain about the first 2/3 or so being slow - much of the movie is Archy's home life and the troops being trained. But I think it makes the end of the film when they get to the battlefield that more effective. Won't spoil it here but ending is really impactful, and I'm still thinking about it this morning. On Amazon Prime right now, give it a watch if you liked, or even if you didn't like, 1917.
4/5
OP
OP
I started blue last night but the melatonin kicked in faster than I anticipated
If Beale Street Could Talk - If Beale Street Could Talk is both beautifully romantic and rightfully angry. What begins as a simple story blossoms into a meditation on the endurance of love against a damning portrait of the justice system in the United States. Beale Street is deeply interested in interrogating the injustices, dehumanization, and racism of the police and prison system. Brian Tyree Henry's character perfectly encapsulates this. He exudes confidence and charisma, but underneath the surface is a man broken and scarred by this system. His monologue about how plainly scared he his of prison and the police is absolutely heartbreaking. Nobody is held to account and the system perpetuates itself. This exploration of how the system fails minorities is also present throughout the main plotline. The justice system pits the victim of a horrible crime against the innocent, working only for itself and not the people it is meant to protect. Barry Jenkins handles this incredibly well with a nuanced hand, not blaming the victim, but rather the system that forced her to point the finger at an innocent man. The film also explores the racism experienced in regular day-to-day life. The department store scene, as short as it is, hits right to the core of how small actions carry with them immense power. It makes explicit the power dynamics at play in seemingly innocuous interactions.
The way the film is told in a non-linear fashion is fantastic. It utilizes voice-over and flashbacks to reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of KiKi Layne's Tish and deepen our understanding of her character and the relationship between her and Stephan James' Alonzo. The music that is predominately used in the flashbacks gives them a wonderful atmosphere; it's very evocative of looking back on those wonderful moments in life, remembering them when times get too hard. The score used is a lovely mix of a traditional, string-based score with elements of jazz woven in. Nicholas Britell did a great job with evoking the past while also putting a bit of modernity in it.
The two lead actors -- KiKi Layne and Stephan James -- are incredible together. Their chemistry is palpable and you don't doubt for a second that they truly care for one another. Even when their situation tests the limits of their relationship, it's obvious that it comes from a place of love and understanding. They want the best for each other, no matter what obstacles block their path. Everyone in the supporting cast is also great, playing their roles with just as much nuance and empathy as the leads.
Barry Jenkins does great work directing, opting for understated, elegant camera movements and gorgeous cinematography by James Laxton. His choice to begin and end the film real-life photographs is bold. It connects the personal story of the two main characters to the history of a country that has undermined African-Americans at every chance it can get. Along with the production design and the score, it all blends to make a lovely film that is just as relevant and well made as Moonlight. I've never read a James Baldwin novel, but if this is anything to go by, I am really missing out on some phenomenal work.
The way the film is told in a non-linear fashion is fantastic. It utilizes voice-over and flashbacks to reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of KiKi Layne's Tish and deepen our understanding of her character and the relationship between her and Stephan James' Alonzo. The music that is predominately used in the flashbacks gives them a wonderful atmosphere; it's very evocative of looking back on those wonderful moments in life, remembering them when times get too hard. The score used is a lovely mix of a traditional, string-based score with elements of jazz woven in. Nicholas Britell did a great job with evoking the past while also putting a bit of modernity in it.
The two lead actors -- KiKi Layne and Stephan James -- are incredible together. Their chemistry is palpable and you don't doubt for a second that they truly care for one another. Even when their situation tests the limits of their relationship, it's obvious that it comes from a place of love and understanding. They want the best for each other, no matter what obstacles block their path. Everyone in the supporting cast is also great, playing their roles with just as much nuance and empathy as the leads.
Barry Jenkins does great work directing, opting for understated, elegant camera movements and gorgeous cinematography by James Laxton. His choice to begin and end the film real-life photographs is bold. It connects the personal story of the two main characters to the history of a country that has undermined African-Americans at every chance it can get. Along with the production design and the score, it all blends to make a lovely film that is just as relevant and well made as Moonlight. I've never read a James Baldwin novel, but if this is anything to go by, I am really missing out on some phenomenal work.
Totally agree, Gerwig is great at hitting the nostalgia buttons, even for -- like you said -- stuff that I don't have any connection to. Beautiful stuff. My #1 or #2 of the year alongside The Irishman, depending on the day.
I'm not sure it is? I remember it was on Mubi at least once when they did a series of Jarman (I only caught The Last of England and War Requiem). At this second it looks like it's on Criterion Channel and Kanopy streaming, the DVD is rentable on Netflix and likely at video stores, and I found the DVD for sale online at a pretty standard price.
Anyway this was good to know because I think Jubilee sounds more my speed than the other two I saw. Last of England was decent and War Requiem would've been great if not for the final movement with the real war footage.
It feels like my eyes have been open to cinema for the first time.
I'm going through the letterboxd search, selecting the streaming services that I have, and finding amazing things to watch.
Saw Shoplifters on Sunday Night. How did that movie NOT win the oscar for best foreign film? So heart felt, really takes you on a journey and explores the meaning of what it means to be a 'family'. amazing.
Also Saw Eighth Grade last night. Man, being a teen in the social media age must be difficult.
I'm going through the letterboxd search, selecting the streaming services that I have, and finding amazing things to watch.
Saw Shoplifters on Sunday Night. How did that movie NOT win the oscar for best foreign film? So heart felt, really takes you on a journey and explores the meaning of what it means to be a 'family'. amazing.
Also Saw Eighth Grade last night. Man, being a teen in the social media age must be difficult.
Terminator Dark Meat: 6/10. Terminator 2's The Force Awakens. I don't know that Poochie'ing John in then first 2 minutes was the play but ok. I thought Linda Hamilton was pretty bad in this but her entrance was bad ass. Mackenzie Davis was also not great, she mostly just kind of yells, but I absolutely need her to pin me down and terminate my balls. I thought the feminist spin on everything was pretty cool, at least it was something. A perfectly serviceable sci fi action film.
Ad Astra
Finally got round to buying and watching this after Digital release, and was really excited based on what I heard, the premise and the theme.
Was left pretty disappointed to be honest. Enjoyed everything up to Mars pretty much (although there seemed to be no real plan to the set pieces - like they just threw them in there to add some sort of action), but after that it just descended into rambling nonsense and failed attempts to tug at my heart strings.
And considering that there was significant attempts early on to make it seem realistic, the second half seemed entirely fanciful in terms of trajectories and times: He flew back from Neptune so let's show that with a bit of a beard!
I think maybe I've just been spoiled by Interstellar tbh.
Finally got round to buying and watching this after Digital release, and was really excited based on what I heard, the premise and the theme.
Was left pretty disappointed to be honest. Enjoyed everything up to Mars pretty much (although there seemed to be no real plan to the set pieces - like they just threw them in there to add some sort of action), but after that it just descended into rambling nonsense and failed attempts to tug at my heart strings.
And he was free to return home after what he did commandeering that rocket???
And considering that there was significant attempts early on to make it seem realistic, the second half seemed entirely fanciful in terms of trajectories and times: He flew back from Neptune so let's show that with a bit of a beard!
I think maybe I've just been spoiled by Interstellar tbh.
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It was nominated against Cold War, Never Look Away and Roma, which were all exceptional.
Nobody Knows is from the same director and covers similar territory. Still Walking and After the Storm are also great.
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